Crime & Safety in Ames, IA
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
1.48
per 1,000 residents
-67% vs national
Property Crime Rate
15.06
per 1,000 residents
-31% vs national
Total Crimes
1,082
2024
Violent Clearance
32%
cases solved
-25% vs national
Property Clearance
22%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
-56%
vs 50K-100K avg
-56% vs 50K-100K
YoY Change
-12.6%
violent crime rate
improving vs 2023
How Ames Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Ames vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 50,000 - 100,000 residents. Ames is highlighted in green.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Property Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Murder Rate (per 1,000)
Violent Crime Clearance Rate
Crime Rate Trends
Source: FBICrime Composition
Source: FBI (2024)Violent Crime Breakdown
Property Crime Breakdown
Crime Clearance (Solve) Rates
Source: FBI (2024)Ames police solve 61% of aggravated assault cases but only 4% of rape cases. The national violent crime clearance rate is 42%.
Weapon Used in Violent Crime
Source: FBI (2024)Crime Breakdown
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)| Crime Type | Category | Count | Rate per 1K | Clearance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | Violent | 0 | 0.00 | N/A |
| Rape | Violent | 46 | 0.70 | 4.3% |
| Robbery | Violent | 5 | 0.08 | 20.0% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 46 | 0.70 | 60.9% |
| Burglary | Property | 113 | 1.73 | 10.6% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 814 | 12.44 | 23.7% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 58 | 0.89 | 20.7% |
Ames, IA reported 97 violent crimes and 985 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 1.48 per 1,000 residents is 66.9% below the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 32% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 814 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 32.6% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (50,000 - 100,000 population), Ames's violent crime rate is 56% lower. Violent crime has been trending downward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 97 | 985 | 1.48 | 15.06 |
| 2023 | 114 | 930 | 1.70 | 13.84 |
| 2022 | 140 | 862 | 2.09 | 12.89 |
| 2021 | 134 | 909 | 1.97 | 13.39 |
| 2020 | 122 | 1,189 | 1.82 | 17.72 |
| 2019 | 135 | 1,171 | 1.98 | 17.16 |
| 2018 | 102 | 992 | 1.51 | 14.67 |
| 2017 | 124 | 1,391 | 1.84 | 20.62 |
| 2016 | 107 | 1,077 | 1.61 | 16.24 |
| 2015 | 98 | 1,225 | 1.52 | 19.03 |